Monday, September 2, 2024

Shamrock Softball Breezes Past Mercer in Jamboree

North Harrison’s girls bounced back after their loss to Worth County in the first Jamboree game and beat Mercer 10-1 in their second game. The Shamrocks got their bats going early in the first. With one out, Lani Briggs hit a shot off the bag at third that caromed into left for a double. Ava Rinehart and Carmon Fordyce walked, and then Jaxcynn Hansel singled two runs home. The ball got away from the right fielder as she took second and a third run scored. Hansel stole third. Gracie Young walked and stole second. Kayka Wilson grounded out to score Hansel, moving Young to third. Young scored on a wild pitch to cap the first inning.

Gracie Young pitched in the first. While Mercer got some good swings off her, she got some good plays in the field behind her. Ava Rinehart, moved from catcher to shortstop, caught Jazmine Lewis’ screamer and then snagged a grounder deep in the hole at short and got it to first for another out. Lani Briggs caught the second game, going back to the position she held last year. Mercer’s lone run in the inning came when Riley Stark reached on an error to score Sari Rogers to cut it to 5-1.

Three straight Shamrock walks jumpstarted the second inning. Walks lead to runs and sure enough, Lani Briggs’ fly ball was deep enough to score Andi Nail. Ava Rinehart reached on an error to score Hali Smith, a stolen base attempt turned into a run when Mercer threw it away, and Jaxcynn Hansel’s base hit after chasing a high pitch scored two more.

Hali Smith worked the second inning for the Shamrocks. She fought the strike zone and walked two and plunked one to load the bases, but she pitched through it to get out of the inning. She had some defensive help as catcher Lani Briggs picked Linda Barton off first. The play was an object lesson on why you keep the tag on a runner until they call time as first baseman Kayka Wilson kept the tag on Barton; sure enough, she lost her balance and came off the bag.


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